Beringer Howell Mtn. Bancroft Ranch Merlot (loose capsules) 1997

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Beringer Howell Mtn. Bancroft Ranch Merlot (loose capsules) 1997 Front Label
Beringer Howell Mtn. Bancroft Ranch Merlot (loose capsules) 1997 Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
1997

Size
750ML

Features
Collectible

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Somm Note

Winemaker Notes

One of the top Merlots in the world, this wine has a quality that can only be described as all-around richness. Unlike some Merlots I've tasted, this wine from Bancroft has no hole in the middle.

Beringer's Bancroft Ranch vineyard is located at an elevation of 1,800 feet on Howell Mountain, a growing area with well-drained volcanic soils. In 1984, Howell Mountain became the first area within the Napa Valley appellation to be declared a separate viticultural area (AVA) for the distinct characteristics of its wine grapes. Bancroft Ranch produces clusters with small berries whose high skin-to-fruit ratio results in well-structured wines with concentrated flavors. Winemaster Ed Sbragia produced the first vineyard-designated Bancroft Ranch Merlot from the 1987 vintage.

"One in a great while, Mother Nature allows you to create what I call a 'seamless' wine, one in which the fruit, the tannins and the oak are in perfect balance. None of these three aspects-the holy trinity of red winemaking-dominates. Instead, they work together to elevate the wine beyond expectations, even the optimistic ones winemakers have in a vintage this special. It comes being able to pick the fruit when the tannins are as mature as the grapes, and then letting both evolve in the right kind of barrel at the right level of toast. I love the way this wine tastes now-mouthfilling and full of ripe fruit, assertive and yet soft as velvet, all at same time. But I fully expect it to improve as it ages, not just stay alive. When is the right moment to enjoy this wine at its peak? Every time I get a chance!" -Ed Sbragia

Professional Ratings

  • 93
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  • 91
Beringer

Beringer Vineyards

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Beringer Vineyards, California
Beringer Vineyards Winery Video

No winery or vineyard more thoroughly embodies the timeless appeal and seductive flavor of Napa Valley than Beringer Vineyards, Napa's benchmark producer since the establishment of the vineyard in 1876.

Now in its third century of crafting classic wines from Napa's finest appellations and vineyards, Beringer today is guided by the inspired partnership of celebrated Winemaster Emeritus Ed Sbragia and Winemaker Laurie Hook. Together, they craft Napa Valley wines that speak eloquently of the rich heritage of the Beringer Vineyard, while offering cutting-edge quality and contemporary elegance. The exquisite wines crafted at the Beringer Vineyards display a single minded dedication and pursuit of excellence instilled by its founder, Jacob Beringer.

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With generous fruit and supple tannins, Merlot is made in a range of styles from everyday-drinking to world-renowned and age-worthy. Merlot is the dominant variety in the wines from Bordeaux’s Right Bank regions of St. Emilion and Pomerol, where it is often blended with Cabernet Franc to spectacular result. Merlot also frequently shines on its own, particularly in California’s Napa Valley. Somm Secret—As much as Miles derided the variety in the 2004 film, Sideways, his prized 1961 Château Cheval Blanc is actually a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

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Howell Mountain Wine

Napa Valley, California

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Today Cabernet Sauvignon is the star of this part of Napa’s rugged, eastern hills, but Zinfandel was responsible for giving the Howell Mountain growing area its original fame in the late 1800s.

Winemaking in Howell Mountain was abandoned during Prohibition, and wasn’t reawakened until the arrival of Randy Dunn, a talented winemaker famous for the success of Caymus in the 1970s and 1980s. In the early eighties, he set his sights on the Napa hills and subsequently astonished the wine world with a Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon. Shortly thereafter Howell Mountain became officially recognized as the first sub-region of Napa Valley (1983).

With vineyards at 1,400 to 2,000 feet in elevation, they predominantly sit above the fog line but the days in Howell Mountain remain cooler than those in the heart of the valley, giving the grapes a bit more time on the vine.

The Howell Mountain AVA includes 1,000 acres of vineyards interspersed by forestlands in the Vaca Mountains. The soils, shallow and infertile with good drainage, are volcanic ash and red clay and produce highly concentrated berries with thick skins. The resulting wines are full of structure and potential to age.

Today Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah thrive in this sub-appellation, as well as its founding variety, Zinfandel.

PKZ63_1997 Item# 63

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